Chapter 24 - The Sabotage
The retaliation was swift and violent. Two nights after Claire’s arrival in Chicago, an alarm triggered at the newly established shelter on the south side of the city.
Claire and David rushed to the scene to find two fire trucks parked outside, their red lights painting the wet pavement in bloody hues. Smoke was pouring from the ground floor windows, but thankfully, the advanced fire-suppression systems Claire had insisted on installing had kept the blaze contained.
The residents—ten women and six children—were wrapped in blankets, shivering in the cold autumn rain.
Claire immediately went to them, kneeling in the damp grass, speaking in soft, reassuring tones, handing out dry clothes and ensuring the staff had temporary hotel vouchers ready.
"It was an arson attempt," David said, walking over to Claire after speaking with the fire chief. "Someone cut the main security cameras ten minutes before a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the basement window. It was professional, Claire. They knew exactly where the blind spots were."
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Claire looked at the soot-stained bricks of the shelter. The sight of the fire threatened to trigger the old, dark memories of the night she was scarred, but she pushed the fear down, burying it deep beneath her resolve.
"They want to scare us into leaving," Claire said, her eyes reflecting the flashing red lights. "But they’ve only shown us how desperate they are. We’re not moving an inch."
